Worldwide, women are vastly under-represented in professions that involve science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem). For example, less than 15% of the world's engineers are women. This indicates wasted intellectual potential at a time when we need all the brain power we can get to help us survive climate change, overpopulation and global inequality.

Ahead of next week's discussion on the access and participation of girls in Stem subjects – at school and in work – at UN Women's annual commission on the status of women conference, we are opening up a talk point on the subject.